Lifting the roof on St Mary’s Purton

Author and Presenter, Dr Jonathan Foyle is coming to Purton on Thursday 9th November 2017. A passionate conservationist, broadcaster and writer, Jonathan will be speaking at St Mary’s Purton, with the additional aim of helping to raise funds for essential repairs to the chancel roof.

Jonathan is an award winning presenter of history programmes on television. His programmes include Climbing Great Buildings,Henry VIII: Patron or Plunderer, People’s Palaces: Civic Architecture in the North and Hidden House Histories. He has even appeared on the One Show!

If history is not really your thing, just come to be entertained. The University of Cambridge International Summer Schools describe his talks as follows: ‘Excellent preparation, command of subject, fun, good use of media, very professional, good pace and extremely interesting content.’

Dave Nettleton explains, “We have invited him to speak on ‘Lifting the Roof on St Mary’s: Medieval Meaning and Construction’. This meeting will take the opportunity of the exposed skeleton of the roof to understand more about how and why St Mary’s was built as it is. This special meeting has been organised to help us raise funds for the repair by increasing your understanding of the church and its importance.”

Jonathan is uniquely qualified to teach us about the architecture of St Mary’s as the author of books on church architecture: Lincoln Cathedral:The Biography of a Great Building and Architecture of Canterbury Cathedral.

St Mary’s Church is a grade 1 listed building, one of only three churches in the country to have both a steeple and a spire. Built in a variety of medieval styles, it has a remarkable Flemish painting of the Last Supper, and its niches in the tower are filled with modern statues by Simon Verity.

So, if you like history programmes, value St Mary’s Church as a great building or just want an entertaining evening out, please come. Put Thursday 9th November 7.30 pm your diary now.

Tickets (by donation) will be available on the door, and possibly in advance through Eventbrite. There should also be wine and nibbles.